Georgia Southern 4, Samford 3
STATESBORO, Ga. - A sweep of the doubles matches proved to be the deciding difference in a close Southern Conference match at the Hanner Tennis Complex on Sunday, April 18. Georgia Southern took all three doubles decisions, uprooting Samford, 4-3, in the final match of the 2010 season.
Georgia Southern closed out the season on a two-match win streak and finished 8-13 overall and 3-6 in Southern Conference play. Samford dropped to 12-12, 3-7 with the loss.
Gregory Bekkers and Edio Castanhel gave GSU the opening advantage in doubles play with an 8-3 victory over Carl Abalos and Scott Foster at No. 3. An 8-6 win at the top seed clinched the point as Juan Manuel Melian Puigventos and Matthijs Verdam topped Carson Kadi and Michael Browder. The senior duo of Jayraj Jadeja and Justin Flynn completed the sweep securing a 9-8 (4) win at the two seed over Zac Dunkle and Oliver Reynolds.
The conference teams split the singles matches proving the doubles to be the deciding factor of the match. Bekkers and Alain Garrido handed the Eagles a 3-0 lead with straight-set decisions at the six and four seeds to start singles play, respectively. Bekkers downed Adam Witcher, 6-3, 6-4, before Garrido ousted Abalos, 6-2, 6-3.
But Samford quickly came within one point with wins at the one and three seeds. Kadi edged Melian Puigventos at the top seed before Reynolds pulled out a two-set win with a second-set tiebreak.
It would be a three-set win at No. 5 that would seal the match for Georgia Southern. Senior Flynn took the first set from Foster, 6-2, but the Bulldog rallied for a second set win, 6-2, forcing a third set in which Flynn clinched the match winning 6-4.
With the match decided, Samford closed out competition winning at the two seed, also in a three-set battle. Dunkel and Jadeja split the first two sets before the Bulldog took the match with a 6-2 third set win.
Appalachian State 6, Davidson 1
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University men's tennis closed out the 2010 campaign in style, as the Mountaineers cruised past Southern Conference Davidson Sunday afternoon, to the tune of a 6-1 victory. With the win, ASU ends the season with a 12-9 record and 4-6 SoCon mark, while Davidson also caps off the season, finishing 10-11 overall and 4-6 in league action.
The Black and Gold began their impressive play early on, sweeping all three doubles matches.
The duo of Alain Humblet and Philip Kloc won their 17th doubles match of the season at the two slot, grabbing an 8-5 win over Walker Lyons and Calum Gee.
Senior standouts Trent Constance and Peter Jacobs followed suit, handing their competitors an 8-6 loss at the number one position, and clinching the doubles point for the Apps.
Keeping Appalachian spotless on the afternoon in doubles play, Andrew McKinnon and Britton Webb held off a tough team in Chris Mark and Sam Burns at the three spot, earning a hard fought 9-8 win (7-2 in the tiebreaker).
ASU's dominance continued in singles play as Jacobs finished his career with the Mountaineers on a strong note, defeating Joe Schafer in two sets, winning 6-4, 6-3.
Constance was victorious in his last match with the Apps, downing Mark 6-4, 6-3 at the three spot. Constance posted a perfect 7-0 record at the three position during the course of the season.
Kloc came up big for Appalachian when it counted, securing the match victory for ASU, beating Lyons 6-2, 6-4 at the four slot, while McKinnon dropped a tough 4-6, 2-6 decision to Gee at the five spot.
Webb, also a senior, rallied for a win over Burns at the six position. After losing the first set 4-6, Webb went on to win the second set 6-4 and capture a 10-7 tiebreaker victory.
In the final singles match of the afternoon, Humblet cruised past Eric Noble winning 6-4, 6-4.